Assist LDCs' Youths: UN Rep Acharya

1 May 2012

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, Gyan Chandra Acharya called on development partners to provide economic opportunities and productive employment to youth dwelling the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Acharya urged partners to support formal and non-formal education systems in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for capacity-building and skill development of youth and adolescent through financial and technical assistance.

While saying that about 60 per cent of the population of least developed countries is under the age of 25, compared with 46 per cent in other developing countries, Acharya said that large youth populations are an asset for least developed countries, and should have the opportunity to participate fully in economic, social and political life.

Youth populations’ potential should be maximized, including through full access to education and productive employment. On the contrary, if they are not provided with the necessary education and skills and not employed, they could be a force of destabilization as well, said Acharya.

“We have to consider that the proportion of the youth in LDCs will grow much higher, compared to the global youth by 2040 and 2100,” stated Acharya at the Forty-fifth Session of the Commission on Population and Development held in New York.

On the occasion, Acharya expressed his hope that the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to be held in June this year, in Rio, Brazil will also take necessary measures in stressing and addressing the problems and challenges relating to population and development and their interplay.

“Sustainable development and poverty alleviation has to give due priority to population dynamics and in particular the challenges of adolescents and youth, who are the future of the nation,” said Acharya.

He also acknowledged the significant role of UNFPA in promoting and ensuring access to and utilization of health services, including through voluntary family programs and community health workers, promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, strengthening integrated health management information system and other related activities.

“We need to provide the organization with necessary resources and capacity so that it can deliver on so many important activities that it is engaged in our countries,” added Acharya.

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